1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power conversion apparatus comprising an inverter circuit.
2. Background Art
As conventional technology that is designed to improve heat dissipation properties by efficiently conducting heat from a semiconductor module to a cooler, for example, a cooling structure disclosed in JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-175163A has been proposed. According to JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-175163A, a semiconductor module is inserted into a hole for module insertion that is formed at a cooler to dissipate heat from an abutting surface of the hole for module insertion. The surface that abuts with the hole for module insertion of the semiconductor module is coated with a soft metal layer to dissipate heat to the cooler through the soft metal layer.
Further, as conventional technology designed to achieve compatibility between assemblability and cooling efficiency of a semiconductor device used in an inverter, for example, the inverter device described in JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-237141A has been proposed. According to JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-237141A, a structure is disclosed in which are formed accommodating portions that accommodate power cards on which both sides of semiconductor devices are sandwiched by heat radiating plates and recycling path portions that recycle coolant around the power cards. In this structure, gaps between the power cards and the accommodating portions are filled with an insulating resin, and the insulating resin is cured to fix the power cards.
Furthermore, an example of the conventional technology for a cooling structure designed to reduce the burden of assembling a semiconductor module and enhance cooling performance is proposed in JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-202899A. According to JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-202899A, a block is provided that accommodates a semiconductor module therein and that has heat radiating surfaces that release Joule heat that is generated in the semiconductor at a front surface and a rear surface. By inserting the block into a cooling water passage that is formed inside a case, the front surface and the rear surface of the block face the cooling water passage.